Mobbing, Struggling, and Managing: A Story of Professional Disarticulation

  • Gregory Hadley
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Educational Linguistics book series (EDUL, volume 22)

Abstract

This chapter presents the core category and core processes for EAP in neoliberal universities. The core category of this grounded theory is Professional Disarticulation, a condition in which people become increasingly cut off from their vocational identities, usually as a result of major changes in the organizational culture. Professional Disarticulation encapsulates the steady process in which one begins perceives that their expertise is no longer truly valued, that their roles have been progressively stripped down, and that their duties have been changed even though their job title remains the same. The internal core process to this category is identified as Soft Mobbing, which is an insouciant disregard of EAP Units through the slow and steady accretion of unpleasant experiences within the university. This leads to the external core process which is Struggling to Manage and Learning to Lead. This is what links the three social processes of the earlier chapters, and which highlights the sense of professional disarticulation that takes place in the lives of new BLEAPs. The implications of this grounded theory for EAP, as well as for those in similar environments where their vocations have been transformed into an aspect of a service industry, are discussed. A call for considering ways transform the Third Space into humane, emotionally intelligent environments will be offered, with the hope of empowering both teachers and students alike.

Keywords

Mobbing Teacher identity EAP Neoliberal Third Space Professional struggle Middle management Language teaching management Critical Grounded Theory 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gregory Hadley
    • 1
  1. 1.Niigata UniversityNiigata-shiJapan

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